Platform Engineering Senior Architect

Clarity Innovations is a trusted national security partner, dedicated to safeguarding our nation’s interests and delivering innovative solutions that empower the Intelligence Community (IC) and Department of Defense (DoD) to transform data into actionable intelligence, ensuring mission success in an evolving world.

Our mission-first software and data engineering platform modernizes data operations, utilizing advanced workflows, CI/CD, and secure DevSecOps practices. We focus on challenges in Information Warfare, Cyber Operations, Operational Security, and Data Structuring, enabling end-to-end solutions that drive operational impact.

We are committed to delivering cutting-edge tools and capabilities that address the most complex national security challenges, empowering our partners to stay ahead of emerging threats and ensuring the success of their critical missions. At Clarity, we are people-focused and set on being a destination employer for top talent, offering an environment where innovation thrives, careers grow, and individuals are valued. Join us as we continue to lead innovation and tackle the most pressing challenges in national security.

Position Overview

DANDIE (Data Acquisition Network for Delivery, Ingestion and Exploitation) is a new program that will serve as the strategic data platform designed to streamline the procurement, onboarding, consumption, and offboarding of CAI / PAI datasets as a reliable enabler of OCO missions. Built on OSS, COTS, and GOTS components and deployed on Kubernetes, DANDIE will support batch, streaming, and QiP cross-domain data workflows and gearing up to become the enterprise data hub for Cyber Command.

In this role, you will own the platform and lake architecture blueprint for DANDIE, ensuring scalable integration of OSS, COTS, and GOTS components on Kubernetes, with patterns that support brokerage, metrics, transport, and secure operations. You will design the backbone of a platform intended to scale across Cyber Command’s data ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities

• Define end-to-end platform architecture (e.g., service boundaries, integration patterns, shared services, guardrails)
• Establish architectural standards for Kubernetes-based deployment, reliability, and scalability
• Design platform patterns supporting batch, streaming, and cross-domain workflows end-to-end
• Define reference architectures for data brokerage, ingest, transport, metrics, metadata, and lake access
• Partner with security stakeholders to ensure architecture supports RMF/ATO constraints and least privilege principles
• Drive architecture reviews, technical decision documentation, and cross-team alignment
• Define non-functional requirements (e.g., availability, resiliency, observability, performance, operability)
• Guide long-term platform evolution and modernization strategy

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience
• 8+ years designing cloud-native platforms or distributed systems
• Demonstrated experience architecting Kubernetes-based systems and service-oriented architectures
• Experience defining and governing architecture standards across multiple teams
• Strong ability to communicate tradeoffs to technical and leadership audiences
• Experience designing for operational reliability and observability in production systems
• TS/SCI with CI Poly preferred; must be eligible to obtain TS/SCI with CI Poly within 6 months of hire
• U.S. citizenship required

Nice to Have Skills

• Experience architecting data platforms, data lakes, data meshes, or large-scale ingestion systems
• Familiarity with streaming architectures (e.g., Kafka-based pipelines, event-driven services)
• Experience integrating OSS, COTS, and GOTS components in regulated environments
• Familiarity with cross-domain data constraints and CDS integration considerations
• Experience with Zero Trust-aligned architectures and boundary design
• Prior DoD/IC program experience

Work Environment

• Government program environment
• S. citizenship required
• TS/SCI with CI Poly preferred; must be eligible to obtain TS/SCI with CI Poly within 6 months of hire
• Must be located in the DMV area (DC, MD, VA)
• Hybrid schedule with on-site support expected (minimum 2 days per week)
• Position contingent upon contract award